Dr. Juna Bobby teaches a 60-second relaxation response developed by Harvard's Dr. Herbert Benson to calm your nervous system before high-pressure moments. Deep exhale, release tension, slow breathing, repeat a calming word silently. The practice activates your parasympathetic nervous system, the physiological opposite of stress.
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I teach high performers one technique to calm down their nervous system in 60 seconds before they go on stage or onto the court. It works for any high-stakes situation. It works for moms, executives, anyone who wants to perform at their best. It's called the relaxation response developed by Dr. Herbert Benson at the Harvard Medical School, and I'm gonna show you how to do it right now. Ready? Take a deep breath in and exhale, releasing your neck and shoulders. Release the muscles in your neck and shoulders. Now take a slow breath in and exhale. Bring a word to mind that calms you. It could be something like calm or love. Repeat it silently in your mind, and whenever your mind wanders, which it will, just gently bring it back to that word or phrase. Set a timer for 60 seconds. You can start with 1 minute, 5 minutes, and then work your way up to 10 or 20 minutes. So right before you go to perform in that high-stakes environment, you can take that pause for 1 or 2 minutes. And once you get used to doing it, you'll know when about a minute has passed. If you felt a stillness, that's your parasympathetic nervous system kicking in. That is the physiologic opposite of the stress response, and everyone has it. If you're alive, your parasympathetic nervous system is working. Hi, I'm Dr. Juna Bobby MD, mom, Harvard-trained educator, and Julliard faculty. Follow me for micro habits that you can automate into your life.
